A Book Of Human Language (Accompanied By Mumbles)

As a member of the influential L.A. hip-hop group Freestyle Fellowship and on his solo debut, Aceyalone pushed the boundaries of lyrical possibilities via tricky cadences and abstract wordplay. Independent of any major-label restraints, A Book of Human Language, Aceyalone's sophomore effort, is an attempt to "redefine your hip-hop guidelines," as the MC creates a highly conceptual album based on no less than the whole of human experience. Since this record is a "book," each song is a chapter that builds onto the song prior and lays the foundation for the next, all made conceptually cohesive with interludes, narratives, and the dark, jazzy production of longtime collaborator Mumbles. With Human Language, Aceyalone manages to insightfully and provocatively cover a universe of subjects, delivered in poetically complex rhymes. In other words, it's exactly what one who is familiar with Aceyalone and Freestyle Fellowship would expect. --James Tai